Rep. Chu, House Members Address the Border Surge of Unaccompanied Minors

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-27) along with Members of the House Judiciary Committee discussed the increasing number of unaccompanied minors fleeing Central America and crossing into the United States at the House Judiciary Committee hearing titled “An Administration Made Disaster: The South Texas Border Surge of Unaccompanied Alien Minors.”

Rep. Chu released the following statement:

“The very title of this hearing is misleading, just like the notion that these children have a “free pass” to stay in the U.S.,” said Rep. Chu. “The Republicans have come to a false conclusion before hearing the facts. The fact is that our laws governing unaccompanied minors have not changed for the past 17 years. Rather, the primary reason for this surge is that children are running for their lives trying to escape the increasing violence in their home countries. This is a humanitarian crisis that requires a humanitarian approach.”

“Earlier this week, I helped introduce the Vulnerable Immigrant Voice Act of 2014 to provide government appointed counsel to unaccompanied minors. The bill will help relieve the current backlog in our courts, and ensure children have a fair shot in immigration court.” Rep. Chu continued. “This legislation is a good first step, but the permanent solution continues to be passing comprehensive immigration reform.”

Since October 2013, over 47,000 unaccompanied minors have come to the United States to seek refuge from extreme violence and abject poverty. A majority of these children are from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, countries that have experienced increasing violence in the recent months. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, as many as 58 percent of the minors could qualify for international protection.

Information on the hearing held by the House Judiciary Committee can be found here.